For the past four months, I have spent my Tuesdays in Upper Marlboro serving on a grand jury. This experience has given me an insight into the criminal justice system, as well as a new appreciation for mentoring and other programs that aim to steer young men away from a life of gun violence and drug dealing.
According to Wikipedia, a grand jury is “a group of citizens empowered by law to conduct legal proceedings, investigate potential criminal conduct, and determine whether criminal charges should be brought.” The word grand comes from the French word meaning large, because it traditionally has more jurors than a trial jury – which is sometimes called a petit jury, from the French word meaning small. Originating in England during the Middle Ages, grand juries are only retained in two countries, the United States and Liberia.
Two Grand Juries
In Prince George’s County there are two grand juries, one meeting on Tuesdays and the other on Thursdays, each consisting of 23 members plus five alternates who might be called upon to take over for the remainder of the term if a juror drops out. On the day I was summoned, judging by the number of names they called out and the number of people actually in the room, I estimate that they called about 400 people, of whom about 100 actually showed up. We were given some basic information and then had the opportunity to give our excuses if we were not able to serve, at which point about half the room got up and formed a line. We were told that it was fine to miss a week or two, so my pre-arranged overseas trip would not be a sufficient excuse.
Diverse Jury
The staff ended up selecting a very diverse jury out of those of us who remained. We met in the County Administration Building rather than the courthouse, because they needed a big enough room to space everyone six feet apart due to covid. Not many people wore masks so I was glad of the spacing, except that it made discussion difficult. I was impressed by the commitment and professionalism shown by my fellow jurors; everyone took the task very seriously, the vast majority showing up every week without fail, in their seats early, ready to get to work.
Each week we heard about 20 felony cases, with a detective reading out all the police reports while we took notes. When we had heard all the reports, the detective and the staff person in charge would leave the room and we would vote. It only takes 12 yes votes to move a case forward, but usually we voted yes unanimously. We were just looking for probable cause: was a crime committed and was it likely that the suspect committed the crime? In most cases, the illegal guns and drug-dealing paraphernalia were found on the defendant’s person, or the assault victim could identify the attacker, so it was very clear-cut.
Distressing Details
It was distressing to hear the details of some of the cases, for example, the child pornography and sex abuse cases. Others were amusing because of the ineptitude or cluelessness of the suspects. In a couple of the more complicated cases, we heard testimony from witnesses, saw video footage, or were given a presentation and the opportunity to ask questions of the police officer investigating the crime.
We were paid the princely sum of $15 for each day served, and unexpectedly got a raise to $30 about halfway through the term.
Field Trip
One week we went on an interesting field trip to the Police Headquarters, where we were given training on use of force. We did some exercises that showed us how we often don’t notice things that are happening right in front of us and we tried out a simulator with laser guns, where we were put into interactive police situations and had to decide whether or not to shoot.
Tedious
The most tedious part of each day was waiting for the judge, the clerk and the court reporter to come and formally accept the paperwork from us. We typically waited about two hours for this and were not allowed to leave – although I got away with going outside on nice days to eat my lunch and walk around the pretty pond across the street and I read a lot of books during that time.
On the last day, when we were asked if we would serve on a grand jury again if given the opportunity, many people eagerly raised their hands. Personally, I am glad to have my Tuesdays back, but it has definitely been an educational experience and I am glad that there are people willing to do this service.